At the time of writing, the Arctic freeze had caused dozens of deaths in North America. CNN reported on Monday that at least 37 people have lost their lives in the US. Meanwhile, the BBC stated that 38 people have died in the US and Canada. Update: by Tuesday morning, the number of people who lost their lives stood at 56.
The very worst-hit area was the city of Buffalo, in New York. Some western parts of the state got up to 43 inches (nearly 109 cm) of snow.
Reuters states that at least 13 lost their lives in Buffalo, up from the 3 who were reported before.
According to Mark Poloncarz, the Erie County Executive, the latest victims were found in cars and in snow banks. Poloncarz warned that there would likely be more victims.
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The storm was the “most devastating storm in Buffalo’s long storied history,” the Governor of New York, Kathy Hochul, told CNN.
Due to the snow and the wind, many roads were impassable. There was zero visibility in some areas. Meanwhile, power substations froze.
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Four people died in Canada, near the town of Merritt, in British Columbia, the country’s western province. A bus had rolled over on an icy road.
According to forecasters, everyone in affected areas should avoid traveling unless absolutely necessary. They note that the blizzard should weaken over the next few days.
The size of the storm is absolutely massive. Its effects can be felt as far as the Rio Grande in the southern US.
The blizzard has had some very wide effects on North America. CNN reports that as of late Sunday evening, over 2.8k flights “within, into, or out of the United States were already canceled.” Temperatures dropped to -50 degrees F (-45.5 degrees C) in Montana, in the western US.
Meanwhile, the BBC notes that power is steadily being restored to Americans all over the country. AP reported that 1.7 million people were affected by blackouts caused by the storm. That number went down to 200k by Sunday afternoon.
However, in Quebec, Canada, almost 120k people were without electricity on Sunday.
